Norden, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, partnered with French renewable energy producer Albioma for its first biofuel bunkering operation in the United States, reports Offshore Energy.
The vessel was supplied with an ISCC/EU-certified B24 biofuel blend at the Port of Houston, Texas. This blend consisted of 24% biofuel and 76% very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO). Following the bunkering, the ship loaded 30,000 metric tonnes of wood pellets in Mobile, Alabama.
The B24 biofuel powered the vessel on its journey to Réunion Island, a French department in the Indian Ocean, where the wood pellets belonging to Albioma were unloaded.
Mikkel Marconi, Commercial Lead Biofuel at NORDEN, emphasized the significance of this development, stating that it marks their first opportunity to source biofuel in the U.S., allowing them to further their goal of reducing their customers’ supply chain emissions in this new region.
Norden has been involved with biofuels since 2018 and has made several investments in the sector, viewing it as a crucial element in the shipping industry’s move towards the 2050 net-zero emissions target. Many marine biofuels are estimated to reduce well-to-wake emissions by over 70%, depending on the materials and processes used.
In 2023, Norden invested in MASH Makes, a biofuel scale-up company, acquiring a minority stake to enhance its future supply of renewable fuels. In April of this year, the two companies completed what they described as the “world’s first” commercial vessel trial using biofuel produced from a carbon-negative process. This trial involved a B20 biofuel blend in the auxiliary engine of a ship on a round trip from Singapore to Brazil. MASH Makes reported that the trial indicated a practical way for shipowners to decrease emissions without waiting for new infrastructure.
Furthermore, in 2024, Norden launched a “book and claim” solution. This system allows the allocation of emissions reductions from Norden’s biofuel voyages to users within the maritime supply chain, even when biofuel is not physically available for bunkering on a specific route or voyage.
